Diary of an Arcade Employee

Alan Gratzer

X-Bomber or as it was known in the UK Star Fleet was a 1980 marionette based science fiction television show, created by the legendary manga artist Devilman‘s Go Nagai (Kiyoshi Nagai). The series of course was heavily influenced by the works of Gerry Anderson’s British television series using his patented “Supermarionation” process wherein the marionettes would also include electronic moving parts to aid in giving them a more life-like appearance – seen in such as Fireball XL-5 and of course the most famous of those types of programs 1965’s Thunderbirds.

The story for X-Bomber is set in the year 2999 and revolves around the Earth Defense Force. Tasked with the protection of the Earth – which is pretty clear by the organization’s name the fragile peace is shattered with the appearance of an alien battle cruiser that proceeds to obliterate the Pluto station for the EDF.
After this attack and with the threat of the Earth itself being destroyed a team is put together to launch an experimental bomber, known only as the X-Project from a secret base upon the moon to fight back this alien threat – mainly the evil commander Makara.
It was in 1982 that the U.K. began airing X-Bomber on Saturday mornings after renaming it Star Fleet – with the scripts for the episodes being adapted by Michael Sloan, who would later go on to be a writer on the hit CBS television series The Equalizer.

[Via] NormonnautStar Fleet also featured the voice work of Garrick Hagon who portrayed the character of Biggs Darklighter in 1977’s Star Wars and Jay Benedict who played Deak in the film although his part was edited out of the final print. Benedict however would also play Russ Jorden, Newt’s Father, in James Cameron’s Aliens in 1986…to only be cut out again but thankfully seen by way of the Special Edition. Another Aliens alumni whose voice work was featured in Star Fleet was Al Matthews who played the ill-fated Sergeant Apone in Cameron’s sequel to Alien.

Also of note is that Queen‘s Brian May became a fan of Star Fleet thanks to his young Son, recording a cover of the television shows’ theme song alongside Eddie Van Halen, REO Speed Wagon‘s drummer Alan Gratzer, Phil Chen, and Fred Mandel as Star Fleet Project.

[Via] Emmanuel LR
There is no way you can not listen to that cover of the Star Fleet theme and not feel your blood start to pump a little faster, I believe I have found the new song I want to wake up to every morning from now on!